


The 118 Quarantine Chronicles

by doctornineandthreequarters



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Eddie Diaz Needs a Hug (9-1-1 TV), F/F, F/M, Firehouse 118 Family (9-1-1), First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, M/M, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Protective Evan "Buck" Buckley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24507991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: A look at the 118 during Quarantine. Featuring cooking competitions, tirades against math, parades, idiot boys in love, prank wars, and happiness.
Relationships: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash, Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Firehouse 118 Crew, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Howie "Chimney" Han, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Henrietta "Hen" Wilson/Karen Wilson, Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 66
Kudos: 374





	1. Cooking Competition

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me very randomly. And who doesn't love the 118 as family?

“Bobby, you could totally do that.” The team was sitting around the living space watching TV. It was some cooking competition that Chimney had put on. They were trying to relax, as a free moment was rare to come by during those times. 

“I have enough stress from work,” Bobby said. “I don’t need any of that.”

“Twenty thousand dollars wouldn’t be so bad,” Chimney said. “That could buy a lot of diapers.”

“We’re the ones who need diapers, not Bobby,” Hen pointed out. “Though, by the time your little bundle of joy comes around, Nia will probably be onto pull-ups.”

“That money would be better suited on a college fund,” Buck pointed out. Chimney glanced at him with an amused look on his face. “What? I’m not wrong. And if you don’t do it, I will.”

“You’re not-” Chimney started, but Eddie cut him off. 

“Probably pointless to argue with him,” Eddie said, glancing away from the TV. “He already told me he plans to spoil his niece or nephew rotten.” Buck shrugged and Chimney could only chuckle at that.

“It does seem like fun,” Hen said with a smirk. “They do have to come up with some creative ideas to make a meal with what they have.”

“That guy just made pasta out of a vegetable,” Eddie said with a frown.

“And you can’t even make regular pasta,” Buck said, before ducking from Eddie’s arm. “Not my fault you burn water.”

“I was helping my kid with homework.” Buck just chuckled. “Besides, you’re barely a cook. You just follow all of Bobby’s recipes.”

“I would arguably say I’m the second best cook here.”

“No way you’re better than Hen,” Chimney said. “Have you had her lasagna?” Hen just chuckled. Buck glanced over at Eddie who raised an eyebrow.

“You gonna jump in and help me out here?”

“You don’t need the ego boost,” Eddie countered. Buck pouted a little and Eddie sighed. He didn’t notice the amused look between Chimney and Hen. Eddie rolled his eyes before turning towards the others. “My Abuela taught Buck how to make her tamales and they were pretty good.”

“Why’d she teach Buck and not you?” Bobby asked from the kitchen.

“Did you miss the burnt water thing?” Buck asked and Eddie just shook his head, but there was a playful smirk on his face. The smirk went away when his phone started buzzing. “Sorry.” He quickly got up and walked down the stairs. Buck watched him go with, brows furrowed. 

“You really think you’re a better cook than me?” Buck turned to face Hen. “You can’t be that foolish.”

“Oh I know I’m a better cook than you.” Hen snorted at that. “You want to put this to the test?” Hen raised an eyebrow at that.

“What’ve you got in mind Buckaroo?” Chimney asked. Buck glanced at the TV and smiled.

“We could have a little competition,” Buck said. He nodded towards the TV. “Like that.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” They all turned towards Bobby. “Might be kind of fun actually. I could put some ingredients in a basket like that show and you two can cook your best dish.”

“But who will judge it?” Chimney asked. “Because both myself and Eddie would be biased.”

“I’ll handle the judges,” Bobby said. “We’ll do it next shift.” Buck smirked and clapped his hands, before hopping up from the couch.

“Get ready to lose Hen!”

“My money’s on you losing, Buckaroo,” Chimney said, before ducking from a pillow being chucked by Buck. Buck rolled his eyes and then headed downstairs. When he spotted Eddie, he jogged over to him. 

“You’re never going to believe this.” As he reached Eddie, he noticed a frustrated look on his face. “Everything okay?”

“Fine.” Buck gave Eddie a look as Eddie gritted his teeth. Buck gave him a look and Eddie sighed. “What am I not going to believe?”

“Hen and I are having a mystery basket cook-off,” Buck said, smiling even though he was still a little worried about Eddie. “Bobby’s gonna make the baskets and get some judges.”

“Because Chim and I would be biased.”

“Exactly.” Eddie nodded. Buck noticed he was still tense. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Just fine.” He noticed Eddie straighten up, his lips forming into a line. “Let’s...let’s go back upstairs.” Buck nodded, not necessarily believing Eddie, but knowing not to push.

* * *

“What are you even doing?” Eddie was sitting at the dining room table of Buck’s apartment, watching Buck move around his kitchen. 

“I want to practice for tomorrow,” Buck said. “Bobby’s probably going to give us three or four ingredients and one of them is going to be something super weird.” Eddie nodded as Buck looked through the cabinets. He couldn’t help but sigh and lean his head in his hands. 

He had been staying at Buck’s apartment since this whole thing had started. It was safer. Children with CP sometimes had weakened immune systems and Eddie wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he had brought something home and got his son sick. So, while Pepa and Abuela stayed at his house and looked after Christopher, Eddie stayed with Buck.

“Hey can you maybe-” Buck stopped when he noticed how Eddie was sitting. “Man, are you okay?” Eddie sighed and looked up at Buck. He tried not to think about his phone call earlier. 

“Just…” He gritted his teeth and sighed. “I’m just tired.” Buck nodded, though he was still eyeing Eddie. 

“Do you want the bed?” Buck asked. “I could sleep on the couch.”

“It’s your apartment.”

“It’s a comfortable couch.” Eddie sighed and ran his hand down his face. “Eddie, just take the bed. You’ll thank me later.” Eddie looked at Buck, who was just watching him with concerned eyes. He knew he should just tell Buck what was bothering him. After all, Buck was letting him stay at his apartment for...well they didn’t know how long. 

“Yeah okay,” Eddie said quietly. “I think I’m just going to shower and go to bed.”

“I’ll keep it down.” Eddie nodded and got up. “And you know, I’m here if you need anything.” Eddie just nodded again, not really able to say anything else. He could hear Frank telling him to open up, to be emotionally vulnerable. But that just wasn’t who he was.

So, without another word, Eddie headed upstairs.

* * *

Buck and Hen were furiously working in the kitchen. They were about halfway through their cooking time. Bobby was standing nearby, watching with an amused expression. Buck commented that Bobby was very clearly enjoying himself when he laughed at Buck’s indignation over having to use coffee in a dish. 

“So, who are the mystery judges?” Chimney asked. He was sitting at the table. Eddie was sitting across from Chimney, trying to not stare at his phone, which is face down. 

“Athena and Maddie.” Everyone looked at Bobby. “What? They’re the only people allowed here because of their line of work.”

“Maddie’s going to be biased,” Hen pointed out. “She’s Buck’s sister.”

“Which is why they’re going to be tasting the dishes without knowing who made them,” Bobby said. “It’ll be fun. Besides, there’s always stopping by anyways and they’re cleared by the department.”

“Besides, we could argue that Athena would be biased towards your dish,” Buck said, glancing back from the stove. Hen rolled her eyes, as she kept cooking. Bobby, who had mostly been watching Hen and Buck cook, noticed Eddie. 

Eddie had been painfully quiet all day. Even though Buck and Chimney could carry most conversations, meals were filled with all of their voices. But today, Eddie had said very little. In fact, all he really did was glance at his phone, flipping from one side to the other, before constantly pushing it away from him. 

“Buck.” The younger man glanced up from his food. Bobby lowered his voice. “Is Eddie okay?” Buck looked at Eddie and shrugged. 

“He’s been like that since yesterday,” Buck said. “I figured if I gave him space, he’d tell me what’s wrong.” Bobby regarded Buck for a moment. Sometimes, it surprised how mature Buck had become since his first day at the station. If Bobby was being honest, it made him a little proud to see.

“Well, keep an eye on him.”

“Well he’s living with me for the time being.” Bobby chuckled and patted Buck’s shoulder, before letting him get back to work. He glanced over at Eddie, making a mental note to check in with Eddie. 

He always wanted his team to know they could come to him.

* * *

Buck and Hen stood at one end of the dining table, smiles on both of their faces. Two dishes were on the table, in front of their elected judges. Athena was sitting in Bobby's normal seat, Maddie sitting next to her. Chimney and Eddie were hanging out by the kitchen watching. 

“Well thank you ladies for coming and for being our judges,” Bobby said. “We have two dishes, prepared by Buck and Hen, using a basket of mystery ingredients. You’ll taste both and decide on a winner.”

“You’re telling my brother made one of these?” Maddie asked. She glanced at Buck who just smiled. “I clearly need you to cook for me more often.” Buck flushed a little with embarrassment.

“Where have both of you been hiding this talent?” Athena asked. “Why’s Bobby doing all the cooking around here?”

“Because he wants to,” Hen said with a smirk. “And I’m just lucky that Karen’s mom was willing to share some old recipes with me.”

“And I just listen to whoever’s willing to teach me,” Buck said with a shrug. Athena looked from Buck to Bobby and smiled, seeing the proud look on her husband’s face. 

“Well, how about you both dig in,” Bobby said. As the two women started eating and quietly judging, Chimney turned to Eddie.

“Twenty bucks says Hen wins.” Eddie snorted. “Come on Eddie, live a little.”

“Alright,” Eddie said, with a nod. “I could use twenty bucks.” Now it was Chimney’s turn to snort, as they watched the quiet conversation between Athena and Maddie. 

* * *

Sometime later, Bobby had a folded piece of paper in his hand. Athena and Maddie had made their decision and written it down. Everyone was watching Bobby, who had yet to look at the paper. 

“Alright, the judges have come to a decision.” Bobby unfolded the paper, his face neutral, as he was so good at doing. “The winner is…” Buck glanced at Hen, who just smirked at him. “Dish B.”

“Yes!” Buck threw his hands up victoriously and Hen chuckled. “Sorry, your dish looked amazing Hen.”

“Yours did too Buckaroo,” Hen said with a smile. “Good job.”

“They were both good,” Athena said. “But the second dish was something fun and different. So, that’s why we picked it.” Chimney huffed as Eddie held his hand out. Chimney handed over twenty dollars and Eddie chuckled. Maddie stood up and walked over to Buck.

“I can’t believe my baby brother made that amazing dish.” Buck chuckled and Maddie hugged him. “Good job.”

“Thanks Maddie.” Maddie smiled as she pulled away. “And next time, tell Chimney not to bet against me.” Maddie laughed before walking over to her boyfriend, who was still sulking over his loss. Eddie switched places with Maddie, leaning against the counter.

“So twenty bucks?” Buck asked.

“Pizza’s on me tonight.” And with a chuckle, Buck nodded, more than happy to not have to cook again that day.


	2. Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The upstairs area of the firehouse was quiet. Bobby was chopping vegetables. Chimney was reading a parenting book Karen had leant him. Hen was reading an article on a new medical practice. Eddie was dozing on the couch, next to Buck, who was staring at his phone. 
> 
> It was quiet, which was nice after the chaos of calls they had had before. 
> 
> And then the silence was broken. By Buck’s hysterical laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is SO SOFT.

The upstairs area of the firehouse was quiet. Bobby was chopping vegetables. Chimney was reading a parenting book Karen had leant him. Hen was reading an article on a new medical practice. Eddie was dozing on the couch, next to Buck, who was staring at his phone. 

It was quiet, which was nice after the chaos of calls they had had before. 

And then the silence was broken. By Buck’s hysterical laughter.

Bobby gave Buck a warning look and Buck clamped a hand over his mouth, shooting his teammates an apologetic look. Bobby shook his head as silence took back over, almost a happy sigh coming from Bobby. 

Until Buck burst out laughing again.

“Dude,” Chimney said, giving Buck an exasperated look. Buck smiled sheepishly. Eddie gave Buck a look and sighed. 

“Sorry, I’ll just…” Eddie noticed Buck’s demeanor change quickly. Buck was always animated and excited about something, but since the lawsuit, if he felt he did something wrong, it was like he turned into a kicked puppy. 

“What are you watching?” Eddie asked. Buck looked over at him, almost a glint of hope in his eyes. Eddie just attempted a smile, even though he was bone-tired.

“It’s just a stupid video,” Buck said. “Just something humorous with everything going on.” Eddie raised an eyebrow. “It’s this video joking about roll call in a kindergarten class six years from now.”

“Why would that be funny?” Hen asked from her seat. 

“Do you,” Buck started a hesitancy to his voice. “Do you want me to show you the video?” Hen shrugged and made her way over, Chimney following suit. Even Bobby moved a little closer as Buck played the video. 

And two minutes later, they were all laughing. 

“Yeah alright,” Hen said. 

“How’d you even find that?” Eddie asked.

“Tik Tok,” Buck said, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. He glanced at Chimney and smirked. “Promise me you and Maddie won’t name my future niece or nephew something ridiculous like Quarantina.” Chimney rolled his eyes and Hen snorted. 

“Smartass,” Chimney muttered, heading back over to his table. Chimney had been thinking a lot about baby names, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Buck, who was over eager to be an uncle. 

“Buck, can you send that to me?” Bobby asked and Buck raised an eyebrow at that. “I think May would find it funny.”

“I can promise you she’s already seen it,” Buck pointed out, as he texted the video to Bobby. “But sure.” Bobby rolled his eyes before heading back to the counter. Buck stood up and stretched as Hen went back to where she was sitting. Eddie let his head rest against the couch, wishing sleep would watch over him.

He hadn’t been sleeping well for a week now. He was trying to be subtle about his exhaustion. The rest of the team didn’t really notice, wrapped up in their own stuff. But Buck did. He would constantly do subtle things to hint that Eddie should sleep. He kept offering to let Eddie sleep in the bed while Buck to the couch. Or, he’d suggest watching a movie instead of playing video games. Even now, as Eddie wished sleep would wash over him, he could feel Buck watching him. Eddie glanced over at Buck, who quickly averted his eyes. 

He appreciated the concern from Buck, but he was starting to feel bad. He was already living at Buck’s apartment for the time being, he didn’t need his friend fussing over him as well. Eddie was absolutely prepared to say something. But then Buck noticed something in the lower part of the station and quickly disappeared down the stairs. 

“Where’s he running off to?” Hen asked, raising an eyebrow. Eddie shrugged. The upstairs grew quiet again, everyone back to what they had been doing before the video interruption. 

Eddie let his head fall back and his eyes shut, wondering if now he’d be able to drift off.

* * *

Eddie was woken by voices coming closer to his. He sat up and looked at his watch. He had only dozed off for ten minutes, which was probably better than nothing. As he looked around, he realized the noise was Buck, coming back upstairs, Maddie with him. 

“Trying to hide Maddie from us?” Chimney asked with a teasing smirk. 

“You live with her,” Buck said. “Maybe I just wanted ten minuted with my sister.” Chimney chuckled, but Maddie smiled fondly at Buck. “And I was showing her the video.” Everyone chuckled as Buck headed over to help Bobby. Hen got up, quietly saying something about calling Karen. 

“Hey you,” Maddie said, sitting down next to Chimney. Chimney smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I thought I’d come by before work.”

“I appreciate it,” Chimney said. “How are you and the little one?”

“They’re a little kicky today,” Maddie said with a soft smile. Chimney raised an eyebrow at that, but was smiling. Maddie just took his hand and put it on her growing belly. When he felt a kick, they both smiled brightly. 

“So soccer camp?” Maddie giggled at that. “Buck showed you that silly video?”

“Yeah, it was funny,” Maddie said. “And he made me promise not to name our kid anything stupid.” Chimney chuckled at that. 

“I know it’s still relatively early,” Chimney started. “But we should start brainstorming ideas for the little one.”

“I kind of have my heart set on a name if they’re a boy.” Chimney tilted his head at that. Maddie hadn’t mentioned that before. “I thought, if the baby is a boy, we could name him Kevin.” 

“God I love you,” Chimney breathed out, his eyes watering. Maddie just smiled sweetly and kissed him. “Guess I’ll have to come up with a girl name then.” Maddie giggled and kissed him again. Chimney felt himself melting into the moment, so grateful for this beautiful woman and the child they were eventually going to bring into the world.

They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. 

“If you’re done macking on my sister,” Buck said, earning him an eye roll from Chimney. “Cap wants to get lunch out.”

“Well that’s my cue,” Maddie said, standing up. “I should get to work anyways.” She leaned down and kissed Chimney’s cheek. As she headed out, she squeezed Buck’s arm, before heading down the stairs.

“Your sister’s great, you know?” Buck chuckled as he watched Chimney stare lovingly after Maddie. 

“I’ve known it a lot longer than you, Chim.” Chimney chuckled before getting up to help Bobby with setting the table. Buck headed over to the couch where Eddie was. 

“Lunch is ready.” Eddie was staring intently at this phone, but quickly tucked it away when Buck spoke. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Buck raised an eyebrow, but Eddie just got up and headed over to the table. Buck raised an eyebrow, but followed, deciding today was not the day to push. As everyone settled down to eat lunch, Hen spoke up. 

“Hey Buckaroo. Got any more of those silly videos?” And Buck chuckled, because yes, yes he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all can't tell me that if the Madney baby is a boy he won't be named Kevin Buckley-Han.


	3. They Changed Math

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Uh, what’s going on here?” 
> 
> “They changed math!

“Uh, what’s going on here?” Chimney and Buck had come upstairs in the firehouse to find Bobby, Hen, and Eddie at the table with books everywhere. 

“They changed math!” Buck chuckled at Eddie’s indignation and sat down next to him. “How are we supposed to help our kids with their homework during all of this if they changed math!”

“And how did they change math?” Chimney asked, sitting down next to Hen.

“It’s not that they changed it,” Hen said with a sigh. “It’s that they had all these weird ways of solving problems now. Why can’t it just be addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division?” Eddie nodded as Buck looked at the books in front of him. 

“Let’s just take a breather,” Bobby said. “We’re not going to let elementary school math defeat us?”

“Why are you fighting with elementary school math?”

“It’s not fair for Karen to have to do her job, take care of Nia and basically home-school Denny,” Hen said. “So I wanted to help. And since he and Christopher are learning the same stuff, Eddie decided to join in.”

“My Abuela’s not one for math.”

“And I’m trying to be able to offer my help if Harry needs it,” Bobby said. “Even though I’m sure Michael has a lock on this because he’s an architect and is apparently very good at math.” Buck nodded but couldn’t help but glance at Eddie. He noticed how tense the brunette was over this. Though, Eddie had been particularly tense since this whole thing had started. 

“Why do they have to use bars with fractions?” Chimney asked. 

“That’s what I said!” Everyone, except Buck, flinched at Eddie’s volume. Eddie just gritted his teeth and stormed off. Buck watched him go, a concerned look on his face. When he turned back towards the table, the others were watching him. 

“You gonna talk to him?” Hen asked. 

“I mean, I was going to give him five seconds to cool off.” Hen shrugged. “You know, one of you could talk to him.”

“Yeah but he’s only going to listen to you, Buckaroo.” Buck rolled his eyes at that before getting up and heading after Eddie. Once he was gone, Chimney glanced at Hen. “Five bucks says they come back holding hands.”

“Oh I will take that bet,” Hen said with a smirk. “They’re too stupid to figure it out now.” Bobby just shook his head, before glancing back at the books on the table.

* * *

It took Buck a few minutes to find Eddie. After searching the locker rooms and the gym, he eventually found his friend outside, sitting on the ground. His back and head were pressed against the wall and his eyes were closed. Buck didn’t say anything as he sat down next to Eddie. 

“You probably think I’m being ridiculous.”

“Nah man, math is hard.” Eddie cracked an eye open at that. “I was terrible at math in school. Could never figure those problems out. I was much more of a science and history guy.”

“Yeah, you helped Christopher with that planet diorama last year.”

“You miss him.” Eddie gave Buck a look as if to say  _ no duh _ . “But this is deeper than just missing him. Come on man, talk to me.” Eddie sighed. “Or we could just sit here and you can tell me about why they shouldn’t have changed math.”

“Well they shouldn’t have,” Eddie countered, before sighing again. “This is the longest I’ve been away from Christopher since I was discharged and I just...I made so many mistakes with him back then and I don’t want to go backwards.”

“You’re not.” Eddie frowned. “You’re a great dad, Eddie.”

“My parents don’t think so.” Buck frowned at that. “They keep calling and texting me. They want to drive to LA and take him back to Texas. They said he would be safer there.” Buck felt an anger flare up inside of him. “It’s not the first time they’ve tried to take him away from me either.”

“Eddie,” Buck started, trying to find the right words. “They don’t see what I see. What Carla, Pepa, and your Abuela see. That you would do anything for Christopher. You’re an amazing dad and if they can’t see that, then that’s their problem.” Eddie nodded, fighting back tears. 

“He’s the best thing in my life.” And Buck just pulled Eddie into a side-hug, offering his friend the comfort he needed.

* * *

Buck peered over the railing in his apartment, having noticed the lack of sound. After getting back from their shift, Eddie had immediately called Christopher on FaceTime. Buck had quickly said hello, but knew Eddie just needed some time with his son. So, after wandering around the kitchen for some time, Buck had gone upstairs. 

When he had last peered over, Eddie had been helping Christopher with some homework (not math, thankfully). But now, it was completely silent. Buck couldn’t see Eddie, so he decided to head downstairs. As he reached the bottom floor, he could hear a soft humming. He walked towards the living room and couldn’t help but smile. 

Eddie was sitting on the couch, head against the pillow, eyes shut. Buck sighed, happy that his friend was able to sleep. And if Eddie looked absolutely adorable while he slept...well that was Buck’s business. He moved closer, still hearing a soft humming. He saw the phone was propped up on the table. Christopher was still on the screen, writing something, and humming. 

“Christopher,” Buck whispered, getting the boy’s attention. Christopher looked up and smiled when he saw Buck. Christopher then held a finger up to his lip. Buck nodded as he gently lifted the phone. He heard Eddie stir and froze. Eddie moved a little, before settling back down, still asleep. Buck moved into the kitchen. 

“Let’s let your dad sleep, okay buddy?” Christopher nodded, a happy smile on his face. “Tell your Abuela and Pepa I said hi, okay?”

“Okay,” Christopher said. “And Buck? Thanks for looking out for daddy.” Buck couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Of course Superman.” He ended the call, feeling the pure adoration he always felt when he talked to Christopher. He then headed back into the living room. He double-checked that Eddie’s alarm was on before plugging the phone in. He looked over at Eddie, wondering if he should wake him or at least convince him to change into something more comfortable. 

But he looked so peaceful.

Buck knew Eddie was struggling right now. Being away from Christopher was hard for him and his parents were only making that worse. Buck didn’t know how Eddie’s parents could want to take Christopher away. Yes, Eddie not being able to live with Christopher at the moment was difficult. But that didn’t mean he deserved to lose his son. Eddie was an amazing father. He was so good with Christopher, always putting his son first. It was one of the things Buck loved about him. 

And yes, he was in love with his best friend. 

He had accepted that fact a long time ago. Eddie was obviously very attractive. But it was more than that. It was how he was with Christopher. It was his confidence on the job. It was the ease at which he worked with Buck. It was his willingness to invite Buck over for movie night or to supervise a sleepover with him. Though he tried to hide it, Eddie had a big heart. And Buck loved every part of it. 

He sighed and moved towards Eddie, gently easing him into a lying down position. Eddie didn’t stir, still fast asleep. Buck positioned a pillow under his head and a blanket over him. Buck observed him for a moment, making sure that his friend was sleeping peacefully. 

He needed to do something, to make Eddie feel better. The problem was, what?


	4. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We both know that this job is easier when we have those beautiful babies to come home to every day. And I know that they’re safe and Michael’s taking care of them and I get to talk to them all the time. But…”
> 
> “It’s not the same.”

Hen sat on the couch of Bobby and Athena’s house, a yawn escaping her lips. 

“You alright?” She looked up to see Athena walking over with two cups of coffee. She handed Hen a cup before sitting down in the chair closest to Hen. Hen sighed and took a long sip of coffee. 

“Denny had a nightmare last night,” Hen said, playing with the cup. “So I stayed up with him on FaceTime until he could fall asleep.”

“Did he tell you what the nightmare was about?” Hen nodded a guilty look on her face. Athena gave her a sympathetic look. 

“He’s afraid I’m going to get sick,” Hen said. “And I don’t know how to assure him that I’m going to be okay. This whole thing is scary and it’s so much worse that I can’t go home and just give him and Nia a kiss and let them know that I’m alright.”

“It’s hard,” Athena said, nodding her head. 

“Do you miss May and Harry?”

“Every day.” Hen sighed. “We both know that this job is easier when we have those beautiful babies to come home to every day. And I know that they’re safe and Michael’s taking care of them and I get to talk to them all the time. But…”

“It’s not the same.” Athena nodded. There was a sad silence between the two, both missing their respective set of kids. “I know I’ve said this before, but thank you for letting me stay here.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Athena assured her. “Besides, I don’t like this house being so empty.” Hen attempted a smile at that. “Come on. I’m sure Bobby’s done cooking. Unless you’re already sick of his cooking.”

“Hasn’t happened yet,” Hen said, getting up. “And thanks Athena. For everything.” Athena nodded before the two headed towards the kitchen.

* * *

Eddie made his way from the living room, a tired sigh escaping his lips. 

“Sleep alright?” Buck was standing at the counter, arms crossed. Eddie grunted something and Buck shook his head. “There’s coffee over there.” Eddie nodded and went about pouring a cup of coffee. 

“I don’t remember actually lying down,” Eddie said, before taking a sip. “Or ending my call with Christopher.” He looked at Buck, raising an eyebrow. “Care to tell me what happened?”

“You fell asleep,” Buck said, looking down at his feet. Eddie watched him carefully. “I had come downstairs because it got really quiet. You were asleep, but Christopher was still on the phone. He was just working and humming.”

“Humming?” Buck nodded and Eddie narrowed his eyes. “Do you know what?” Buck hummed a few bars of what he remembered and Eddie gasped. He put the coffee cup down, his throat thick with emotion. 

“Eddie?”

“I um, I used to try to sing that to him when he was little,” Eddie said, closing his eyes. “It’s an old Spanish lullaby that Abuela taught me.” He cleared his throat, feeling his eyes well up. “The first few years of Christopher’s life, I felt so helpless. I had no clue what I was doing or how to be a father. And then I re-enlisted, more willing to fight a war then to be a father. And then I got injured and discharged. And I still didn’t know how to take care of my own son. And it was like no one wanted to let me. Shannon just yelled at me if I wasn’t helping enough. My parents didn’t trust me to care for my own kid or make decisions for him.”

Those days, after coming back from Afghanistan, were painful. Eddie still regretted not being there for his son, missing so many important moments. He regretted being a terrible husband and driving Shannon away. And he regretted ever giving his parents enough room to think they could tell him how he needed to parent his child. Their words over the phone the other day echoed in his ears, worrying Eddie that they could just show up and take Christopher. And with everything going on, he didn’t know if he could stop them.

“But then one night,” Eddie continued, sniffing to fight back the tears. “Chris was crying and couldn’t sleep and I just wanted to prove that I could take care of my son and I was a decent father. And so, I started humming that song. And it calmed him down. I just didn’t know he remembered it.”

The kitchen grew quiet and Eddie felt exhausted and like his emotions had run him raw. He wished he didn’t have to go to work in a few hours. He wished he could just hold his son until everything felt okay. 

He heard footsteps approaching him and looked up. Buck had moved in front of him. His blue eyes watched Eddie, searching for something. It was these moments with Buck that surprised him. His best friend, who was always so exuberant, could switch into a concerned empathetic person so quickly. Sure, Buck was caring and showed his concern for his friends, but it was this quiet, studying concern that was different. He had never seen this side of Buck directed towards anyone else. He wondered if there was more there, behind those bright blues eyes studying him. 

Before he could ask, Buck pulled him into a hug. 

Eddie sighed, letting his forehead rest on Buck’s shoulder. Buck just kept his arms wrapped around Eddie’s back, not saying anything. Eddie tried to calm the tightening in his chest, the horrendous emptiness that he felt without having his son around. He couldn’t understand how he could have willingly stayed away for so long. He had been gone for years at a time, but now, even months away from Christopher made him feel numb.

He lifted his head up, his dark eyes connecting with Buck’s bright blue eyes. 

_ At least he had Buck.  _

That thought almost startled him. He knew he could rely on Buck and trusted him implicitly. But there was something about that thought that felt different. It didn’t feel like something you would feel towards your best friend. 

“I’m sorry you’re going through this Eds,” Buck said, a hand resting on Eddie’s shoulder. “I wish you didn’t have to feel like this or just miss Chris so much.”

“Guess the world didn’t care if I missed my son.”

“I care.” Buck’s statement floated through Eddie’s ears, and as he looked at Buck’s eyes, he realized it was travelling down to his heart. And that feeling was different. It was something he hadn’t felt in a while. He gulped and stepped back, overwhelmed by the growing thumping in his heart. 

“I should get ready for work.” Buck just nodded, his hand falling away from Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie quickly headed upstairs towards the bathroom. His head was just a mess because of his parents and how much he missed Christopher. 

That was all it was. Nothing else. It couldn’t be anything else.

It just couldn’t.

* * *

Chimney walked over to Buck, who was leaning against the kitchen counter. He was watching Hen and Eddie, who were sitting at the table. Both of them had been frowning all shift. Buck could tell Bobby was one step away from assigning them chores so Hen and Eddie would stop sulking. 

“What’s wrong with Hen?” Buck asked, glancing at Chimney.

“Denny had a nightmare last night,” Chimney said. “And it made her miss him and Nia.” Buck nodded. “What’s wrong with Eddie?”

“He misses Christopher and his parents are giving him a hard time.” He left out the part about his parents wanting to take Christopher back to Texas, since Buck hoped that if he didn’t mention it, it wouldn’t happen. 

“So basically they’re sulking and it isn’t going to go away.” Buck sighed and Chimney nodded. Buck watched their friends, noting just how sad they were. He wanted to help them. He wanted to do something to cheer them up. 

And then an idea hit him. 

“I need you to come with me,” Buck said, nudging Chimney. Chimney raised an eyebrow. 

“Where are we going?”

“Bobby’s office. I have an idea and I need help from both of you.” The wheels were really turning now, but he couldn’t do this alone. 

“Will it make them feel better?” Buck nodded, a smile crossing his face. “Yeah, okay.” Buck grinned and quickly headed downstairs. 

If this worked, this maybe could bring Eddie and Hen out of their funk.


	5. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why would Bobby call Athena and then be nowhere to be found? Eddie was about to say something when Buck suddenly came running upstairs. 
> 
> “What are you guys doing up here?” He asked. “Cap wants everyone outside for a line-up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for being here. This fic is totally self-indulgent and I love every second of it.
> 
> Also, shout out to Lis (romeoandjulietyouwish), who helped me figure out the word line-up (because I was searching for it and couldn't remember if it was line-up or inspection or walkthrough). Thanks!

Eddie knew that sulking in the firehouse was juvenile. But he couldn’t help it. Between his parents phone call and his conversation with Buck, he felt terrible. And he wasn’t planning on sulking, but then Hen was in a similar mood. So, it was easy for both of them to sit at the table and commiserate together. 

“Well isn’t this a sorry sight.” They both looked up to see Athena coming up the stairs. “Bobby wasn’t kidding when he said you two looked like someone had kicked your puppy.”

“Bobby ratted us out?”

“No, but he mentioned it.” Hen huffed as Eddie leaned back in his chair. He noticed Athena looking at him. “I’m assuming you’re sulking for the same reason she is.” Eddie’s lips formed into a tight line, but he nodded. “Well if all the parents are going to sulk, then I guess I’ll join you.”

“You know when everything is okay again,” Hen started. “It’ll be like a week before we’re convincing one of us to take the three boys for a sleepover.” Athena chuckled at that and even Eddie smiled just slightly at that.

“We’ll make Bobby do it,” Athena suggested.

“So, did Bobby call you just to try and cheer us up?” Hen asked and Athena shook her head.

“He just called me,” Athena said. “Asked me to come by. Not that I can find that husband of mine.” Eddie looked around the loft. Bobby, who was usually in the kitchen, was nowhere to be found. He also couldn’t help but notice that Buck and Chimney weren’t around either. 

“Where are Buck and Chim?” Hen looked around as well. 

“Huh,” Hen said. “I haven't seen any of them in a while.” The three in the loft looked at each other, trying to figure out what was going on. Why would Bobby call Athena and then be nowhere to be found? Eddie was about to say something when Buck suddenly came running upstairs. 

“What are you guys doing up here?” He asked. “Cap wants everyone outside for a line-up.” He then headed downstairs. Eddie looked at Hen, a confused look on his face. 

“Well you heard the boy.” Hen sighed and got up, Eddie following suit. He was pretty sure Athena was following them, since she had come there to find her husband. However, when they got outside, they only were more confused. 

“Cap?” Hen asked, only spotting Bobby and no one else. “What’s going on?”

“You three looked like you could use a pick-me-up,” Bobby said with a smile. He walked over to Athena and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She gave Bobby a quizzical look and he just smiled. 

“What do you mean ‘a pick-me-up’?” Hen asked. Bobby just smiled and turned his head. 

“Well you three have been a little down lately,” Chimney said, moving to stand next to Hen. “So, we came up with a way to cheer you up.” Hen raised an eyebrow and Chimney just smiled. 

Buck suddenly appeared out of nowhere, a blinding smile on his face. Bobby gave him a thumbs up and Buck started moving his hands, like he was beckoning something forward. He then jogged over to stand next to Eddie.

Eddie was about to say something, when he heard the first honk.

He quickly realized that Buck had been beckoning for a line of cars that were now moving towards them. Eddie furrowed his brow as the first car approached. But then he heard Athena laugh. 

“Now what are you doing here?” The first car was being driven by Michael, who just smiled, before rolling down the window for the back seat. 

“Mom! Bobby!” Athena smiled as Harry waved from the backseat. 

“Shouldn’t you be doing homework?” Athena asked, but there was a playfulness to her voice. 

“We’re the start of a parade mom,” May said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Athena looked at Bobby, who just smiled. 

“A parade?” Hen asked. Michael just nodded and pointed to the car that was now behind his.

“There’s tape markers for six feet away,” Buck said. “We measured.” Athena chuckled, sending Buck an affectionate look, before moving towards Michael’s car to talk to them. Hen looked at Chimney who nodded to the second car. Hen walked over to a little piece of tape, still a little confused. 

“Hi mom!” She almost burst into tears when the window rolled down, revealing Denny and Nia. She looked back at Chimney, who just smiled, crossing his hands over his chest.

“Hi baby,” Hen said, pushing her glasses away to wipe away a few tears. “Is mama with you?” The front window rolled down, revealing Karen, and Hen couldn’t help but grin, so grateful to see her whole family. 

“There’s one more car.” Eddie turned to Buck, who had spoken up. Eddie looked at the last car, breath catching in his throat. He looked back at Buck who just nodded. He sniffed before approaching the last piece of tape, feeling like his heart was in his throat. 

And then he heard the best sound in the world.

“Daddy!” 

He almost broke down then and there. God, he had missed Christopher so much. He missed his smile and his laugh and just everything about him. And of course, Christopher was smiling at him.

“Hey mijo. I missed you so much.” Eddie heard the crack in his voice, but he didn’t care. After the last few days, he needed this. God, he had missed his son so much. He glanced back at Buck, who was talking with Chimney. He had a feeling that Buck had been behind this idea. Buck glanced away from Chimney towards Eddie and just smiled at him. The smile travelled down to his heart, just as Buck’s words had the other day. It made him feel light and warm. It made him feel happy.

And it was like a lightbulb went off in Eddie’s head. 

He quickly turned back towards his son, trying to ignore the alarm blaring in his brain. Trying to ignore the reason why Buck’s actions and smile made him feel that way. 

He’d have to deal with that later, but for now, he’d focus on the sheer happiness of seeing his son.

* * *

Buck couldn’t help but glance at Eddie as they drove back to his apartment. He had been quiet for some time. The parade had been a success, Hen, Athena, and Eddie grinning from ear to ear after seeing their children. But then, after a few hours, Eddie’s demeanor had changed. And then, he had gotten painfully quiet. 

Buck was confused. He thought that the parade would’ve brightened his spirits. But it seemed like he was back to how he was acting before. Had it not been enough? Had it just reminded Eddie that he couldn’t be around his son? Had Buck made everything worse?

Buck wanted to say something, but they were already parking and Eddie was getting out of the car. Buck sighed and followed after him. He felt so guilty, thinking he could’ve just made Eddie feel worse. Why else would his friend be ignoring him?

When he got into the apartment, Eddie was standing by the kitchen counter, head hung low. Buck closed the door, concern bubbling up.

“Eddie?” Eddie turned and stared at Buck. Buck raised an eyebrow, trying to understand the look on Eddie’s face. Eddie crossed the room until he was right in front of Buck. Buck felt his breath catch in his throat. There was something about Eddie being so close, staring at him, that had Buck feeling like his heart had leapt out of his chest. He went to say something again, when Eddie cut him off. 

With his lips. 

Buck stumbled backwards, surprised by the action. Eddie was kissing him.  _ Eddie was kissing him _ . As soon as his brain actually understood what was happening, his lips moved against Eddie’s, savoring this moment. He was still in disbelief that that was happening, but he kissed Eddie back with such fervor, worried that this may never happen again. He wrapped his arms around Eddie, pulling him closer until their bodies were pressed against each other. Eddie ran his tongue along Buck’s bottom lip and Buck’s lips parted at the sensation. A groan filled the charged air and Buck didn’t know if it came from him or from Eddie. He didn’t care; he just wanted to keep kissing Eddie. 

They kissed for minutes or maybe hours. Buck didn’t know anymore. He was just caught up in Eddie. The feeling of Eddie’s lips, the feeling of Eddie’s body pressed against his. He didn’t want this moment to end. But he knew they’d have to come up for air. And, as much as he enjoyed kissing Eddie, he had to know why. He had to understand why Eddie had suddenly kissed him. 

Buck pulled away and regretted it immediately when Eddie whined. Buck breathed deeply, trying to control himself. He had stopped for a reason. He needed to stick to that. 

“What-”

“I don’t know,” Eddie admitted. His forehead rested against Buck’s, one hand cupping the nape of Buck’s neck. “I don’t know...I just...you did all of that today for me. I know you had help from Chim and Bobby. But you did all of that because I missed my kid and I just…” He let their lips crash together again, savoring the feeling of Buck’s soft lips against his own. 

“You’re really bad with words,” Buck said, his breath ghosting over Eddie’s lips and making Eddie shiver.

“I’m better with my mouth.” Buck would have blushed at the sound that escaped his throat, except Eddie was swallowing the sound, his tongue already trying to memorize Buck’s. Buck pulled back and Eddie just moved his mouth to nibble on Buck’s ear. 

“We need to,” Buck gasped, trying to focus. But everything Eddie was doing was sending blood south and making him dizzy with lust. “E-Eddie. We need to talk.”

“Tomorrow,” Eddie whispered, sending shivers up Buck’s spine. “For now, just...just shut up.” And then he was kissing Buck again. And Buck was melting into the kiss. He wanted to understand more. He wanted to understand why his actions warranted Eddie kissing him and doing so with such passion. But it was clear he wasn’t going to get those answers tonight. 

And with the way Eddie was kissing him, he was okay with that.


	6. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he went to move, he felt someone pressing against his side. He froze for a second before turning his head. 
> 
> Eddie was in his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-indulgent fic is self-indulgent!

Buck sighed as his eyes slowly opened. Sunlight was slowly filling his apartment. With the windows in his apartment, he never slept past the sunrise. He supposed he could do something about that, but he didn’t really care to. On the days when he needed to, he just pulled his covers over his head. Which he was considering doing now. 

As he went to move, he felt someone pressing against his side. He froze for a second before turning his head. 

Eddie was in his bed. 

Everything from the previous night came flooding back. Eddie pressing him into the door before kissing him until he couldn’t think straight. Eddie nibbling on his ear. Eddie kissing him all the way up the stairs and onto the bed. 

His cheeks turned red, realizing they had made out like a bunch of horny teenagers. His lips still felt sore from how hard Eddie had kissed him and he was sure he had quite a few hickeys on his body. They hadn’t gone farther than that, Buck knowing neither were ready for that. But Eddie had fallen asleep in his bed, curled up into his side.

Buck couldn’t help but look down at Eddie. His head was on Buck’s arm and one arm was thrown over his waist. It warmed him from his head to his toes. He had dreamed about this moment. And yet, he still didn’t fully understand what had happened.

As much as he wanted to lie there and just dreamily stare at Eddie, he couldn’t. He needed to talk to him. But he also wasn’t going to wake Eddie up. So, he tried to slide out of the bed, without waking Eddie up. 

Eddie made a sound and Buck froze. He felt Eddie’s fingers grip into his hip bone, almost as if he was holding him in place. Buck glanced over at Eddie and saw that his eyes were closed. With a breath, he tried to move again. He felt Eddie’s hand land on his chest. 

“Stop moving,” Eddie mumbled. Buck glanced over at Eddie as his eyes opened. “I was comfortable and you started moving.”

“I wanted coffee.” Eddie looked up at him and Buck bit back a gasp. He wished he could wake up to those brown eyes every morning. He gulped and sat up a little, Eddie’s hands falling away. “You owe me a conversation.”

“Buck.” Eddie’s eyes closed, a hand pinching the bridge of his nose. Buck huffed and pulled himself out of the bed, ignoring the hurt look that flashed across Eddie’s face. 

“You can’t just stick your tongue down my throat and sleep in my bed with me and just expect me to let it go.” He stood in front of his dresser, pulling a shirt on. “I need to know why. I need answers. So either you tell me why or don’t bother talking to me at all.” He stormed downstairs, not bothering to look back at Eddie. He was sure he sounded harsh, but he wasn’t going to put this off anymore. 

Eddie was going to explain to him what all that kissing was about.

* * *

Eddie laid in the bed as Buck stomped down the stairs. He knew they needed to talk, but he didn’t know what to say. He squeezed his eyes shut and let his face fall into the pillow. Which was a terrible idea because the pillow smelled like Buck. It was an intoxicating smell, pulling him back to the previous night. 

What had he been thinking, kissing Buck like that? They were best friends. And Eddie had seemingly thrown that away by...how did Buck put it?  _ Shoving his tongue down his best friend’s throat _ . God, he was so stupid. And yet, it had felt good. It had felt like his lips were meant to kiss Buck. Which was incredibly confusing. Sexuality aside, Eddie couldn’t lose Buck over one stupid kiss (well many stupid kisses, he recalled, his face flushing). 

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up. So it was decided, he’d apologize to Buck for crossing a line and just ask him to forget it ever happened. He found his shirt on the floor, blushing when he remembered Buck’s fingers scraping up his abs as he removed it.  _ No _ . He was going to have to stop thinking about the previous night. It was never going to happen again. 

He pulled his shirt on and headed downstairs. Buck didn’t even look at him when he walked into the kitchen, focusing on the food he was cooking. Eddie poured himself a cup of coffee and took a long sip. Then, he spoke. 

“I’m sorry.” Buck froze, his back still to Eddie. “I shouldn’t have done it. I just...it was stupid. It won’t happen again.”

“Are you kidding me?” Buck spun around, spatula in hand. “I don’t want some garbage apology. I want to know why. Why did you kiss me?” Eddie sputtered. Buck threw the spatula down on the counter, anger-filled eyes fixed on Eddie. “Do you want to know why I kissed you?”

“W-what?”

“I kissed you back because I wanted to,” Buck said. “And not because I’m lonely or I thought it would be awkward if I didn’t, but because I wanted to kiss you Eddie. I have tried to tell myself that it would never be more than friendship, that you could never feel the same way I did. And that was fine. I wear my heart on my sleeve, you don’t. But then last night, you kissed me. You made the first move and now what? You just want to act like it never happened and move on? I can’t do that. I won’t do that. So, you’re going to tell me why.”

“Buck.”

“Now.”

“Because I also wanted to!” Eddie shouted, echoing Buck’s words. “God Buck, you’re always there for me, always looking out for me. You arranged a parade with appropriate social distancing just so I could see my son. You let me sleep in your bed when I was having a bad day. You love my kid like he’s your own. And I don’t know how to feel about that!”

“Why?” Buck asked, his voice soft, almost like he was afraid to hear the answer. 

“I have been with one person my entire life,” Eddie said. “I met Shannon in high school. We dated, we got married, we had Christopher. And then I was off fighting in a war, neglecting her and Christopher. And then I came home and all we did was fight. And then she left me. She left me and I tried to move on but then she came back. And I thought we were trying to fix things, but then she wanted to divorce me, and then she died. The only relationship I’ve ever had was a colossal failure and I can’t risk the same thing happening with you. Buck, I need you. Christopher needs you. I can’t lose you.”

Buck’s face softened. He crossed the kitchen to Eddie, taking the coffee cup out of his hand and putting it on the table. 

“What makes you think you would lose me?” Buck asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Because I chase people who are supposed to love me away,” Eddie said, looking down. He could feel the tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. “I did with Shannon. Twice.”

“Eddie.” Buck’s voice was so soft, it made him shiver. He felt Buck use one of his finger’s to tilt Eddie’s chin up. “Do you have feelings for me?” Eddie stared at him, at those blue eyes that we felt like he could drown in. 

“Yes.” He felt a tear slip down his cheek. “Yesterday, when you looked over at me...it just...it hit me like a ton of bricks.”

“A ton of bricks?”

“I didn’t think the phrase ‘tidal wave’ was appropriate.” Buck chuckled a little and Eddie smiled. “But I...I realized yesterday that I do care a lot about you and I needed to know if you did too. But I can’t...I’d sacrifice my own happiness to know that I wasn’t going to lose you.”

“You think after everything I’ve been through, everything we’ve been through, that I would let you go?” Eddie was about to say something but was silenced by a kiss. He melted into it, gripping on to Buck’s shirt like it was the only life preserver in a vast ocean. Buck’s hands landed at his hips, rubbing gentle circles as they kissed. It was slow and steady, unlike the kisses last night that had been passionate, with teeth and biting and gasps of air.

This was the kind of kiss that Eddie could get lost in. It was the kind of kiss that could warm him all over, without anything charged between them. It was the kind of kiss that screamed ‘I love you’, which scared and invigorated Eddie at the same time. 

When they finally pulled away, because of a little thing called oxygen, Eddie let his forehead rest against Buck’s. He loosed his grip on Buck’s shirt, just slightly, and played with the fabric. Buck’s hands were still drawing gentle circles at his hips.

“What do we do now?” Eddie asked, looking into Buck’s eyes. Buck just smiled and placed a chaste kiss on Eddie’s lips. 

“We try.”

“And if we fail?” Trying meant everything could fail apart. Trying meant, even if Buck assured him of the opposite, it meant possibility losing him. 

“Then we try again.” 

“Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?” Buck smirked and shrugged a little. 

“Then I guess you make me certifiable.” Eddie blew out a laugh before kissing Buck again. He didn’t know if it would work out, if they would work out. But for right now, Eddie was okay with trying. 

Especially if it meant he got to keep kissing Buck.


	7. Pinball and Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hen furrowed her brows as she watched Buck and Eddie. The two of them were close, that was obvious since after their first shift together. But this was different. 
> 
> The two were currently playing pinball, claiming that they were competing over who could have the highest score. It would have seemed normal, except for how close they were. No matter who was playing, the other was hovering close by. They kept bumping shoulders and smirking at the other. Also, Hen was pretty sure that when Eddie was playing, Buck’s hand was dangerously close to where Eddie’s was sitting. 

Hen furrowed her brows as she watched Buck and Eddie. The two of them were close, that was obvious since after their first shift together. But this was different. 

The two were currently playing pinball, claiming that they were competing over who could have the highest score. It would have seemed normal, except for how close they were. No matter who was playing, the other was hovering close by. They kept bumping shoulders and smirking at the other. Also, Hen was pretty sure that when Eddie was playing, Buck’s hand was dangerously close to where Eddie’s was sitting. 

“Earth to Hen.” She looked away from the suspicious boys, long enough to realize Chimney was trying to get her attention. 

“Oh sorry Chim.” He shrugged and sat down across from her. 

“What’s got you distracted?” Hen nodded towards Buck and Eddie. “What about them?”

“They’re acting differently.”

“They look the same to me.” Hen rolled her eyes and looked back at Chimney. 

“They’re standing closer together, they keep bumping shoulders, and Buck keeps touching Eddie’s hand.” Chimney raised an eyebrow at that and glanced back at them. Buck said something they couldn’t hear and Eddie’s laughter filled the station’s loft. “Something is up with the two of them.”

“Well we could try and find out,” Chimney said, a smirk crossing his face. 

“First one to do so gets twenty bucks?” Chimney nodded and they shook on it. “You’re going down. Both of those boys trust me.”

“I’m basically Buck’s brother-in-law at this point,” Chimney said. “All I have to do is mention his future niece or nephew and he’s putty in my hands.”

“What are you two up to?” They both turned, seeing that Bobby was standing near the kitchen. Hen just glanced at Chimney, who shrugged. “Whatever it is, no betting. You two need other hobbies.”

“Ouch Cap.” Bobby rolled his eyes before walking away. “He’s probably right.”

“Well we can change our ways after I get to the bottom of this,” Hen said with a smirk. Chimney was about to say something, when they noticed Eddie walk away, his phone to his ear. Hen quickly got up and headed over to where Buck was. Chimney sighed, assuming that meant he was talking to Eddie. He stood up and then headed downstairs.

* * *

Buck tried to focus on the pinball game in front of him. In reality, he was worried about Eddie. They had been messing around, competing to see who could get the highest score at pinball. And it was a fun way to pass the time. It also meant that Buck could sneakily hold Eddie’s hand, making the other man blush. Seeing Eddie blush was absolutely adorable. The first time he had done it, Buck had wanted to kiss him senseless. But they were at work and weren’t talking about whatever they were, since they were still figuring it out. 

But their fun had burst when Eddie’s phone rang. He hadn’t said anything, just walked off to answer it. So that left Buck to worry. Was it his parents? Were they in the car coming to take Christopher?

“Hey Buckaroo.” He was pulled away from his thoughts by Hen. “Whatcha up to?”

“Trying to get the highest score,” Buck said. “Eddie and I have been going back and forth, just to pass the time. Do you want a turn?”

“I’m okay.” Buck nodded and turned away from the machine, leaning against it. “So, Eddie’s basically living with you. How’s that going?”

“Feels normal,” Buck said with a shrug. “I’ve slept on his couch enough times. Kind of sucks that Chris isn’t there. I miss that little guy.” Hen smiled a little. It was sweet how much Buck adored Christopher. But she had to stay on task. 

“You don’t get on each other’s nerves?”

“You’d think, but I think we’re just used to spending time together.” Hen tried not to sigh, not getting the answer she wanted. Though she sometimes couldn’t believe the two weren’t a thing with how much time they spent together. 

“What about sleeping arrangements?” She noticed a blush cross Buck’s face and she was about to dive further in. 

But then the alarm stopped her. 

Buck quickly ran down the stairs and Hen huffed, before following after him.

* * *

Chimney hung outside of the locker room, waiting for Eddie to get off the phone. He wasn’t sure anything was really different with Eddie and Buck. But Hen was hardly ever wrong and if she thought there was something up, then he was curious as to what. 

Of course, bothering Eddie would probably be futile. Eddie played everything close to the vest. He didn’t tell anyone anything unless he wanted them to know. Not to mention, if Chimney really wanted answers, he could just talk to Maddie. If she didn’t already know what was up with Buck, she could find out. She knew him best after all. 

When he saw Eddie exiting the locker room, he sprung into action.

Of course, the alarm chose that moment to go off. 

Eddie didn’t seem to notice him as he rushed off to get his gear. Chimney huffed and jumped into action. By the time he got to the ambulance, Hen was already in the driver’s seat. 

“You get anything?”

“Nope,” Chimney said as Hen started to drive. “You?” Hen shook her head and Chimney sighed. 

This was going to take a little more work.

* * *

Eddie collapsed on the couch, a long sigh leaving his mouth. The call had been exhausting. It had been a house fire. He could still hear the distraught parents, screaming for their kid, who was still inside. Eddie had wanted to run back in, but when he saw the boy in the window, barely older than Christopher, he froze. 

Luckily, Buck had run in and gotten the boy out.

“Eddie?” He heard Buck sit down next to him. “You okay?”

“I froze.” His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. But it was loud enough for Buck to hear. “I just saw that kid and I froze. I’ve never...normally, I see kids and I think of Christopher and spring into action. But today…”

“We all freeze,” Buck reassured him, wishing he could just take Eddie’s hand, but knowing they were at work. “Is there a reason why it happened today?”

“My parents called again.” Buck sighed. “I just have this irrational fear that I’m going to get a call from Abuela telling me they’re taking Christopher and I don’t know what I’d do if they did. Because it wouldn’t just be for a short time. It would be for good.” Eddie ducked his head, feeling tears at the corner of his eyes.

“You could sic Athena on them if they keep harassing you.” Eddie laughed wetly, brushing the tears away. 

“I think this is out of her jurisdiction,” Eddie said. “I’ve got a buddy from high school on the Austin PD too, but I don’t think he can help me either.” Buck just nodded. “I don’t know what to do honestly.”

“Well you’ve got me on your side, no matter what.” Eddie smiled a little at that. “I’ve got your back. Any day.”

“Thanks Buck.” Buck nodded and smiled. Eddie then brought his voice down to a whisper. “I’ll thank you properly later.”

“I do believe you’re propositioning me,” Buck whispered back. “And I think I’m into that.” Eddie laughed and Buck settled back onto the couch, grabbing the remote. As Eddie sat next to him, he knew that whatever decision he made, regarding dealing with his parents, Buck was going to support him no matter what. And that, at least, made him feel a little better.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Eddie and Buck, Chimney and Hen had watched their entire conversation. They couldn’t hear most of it, but they observed. 

“Something’s definitely up,” Chimney said. “I can see that now.”

“Question is,” Hen said, a small smirk on her face. “How are you going to figure it out before me?”

“Easy,” Chimney said, getting up. “I’ve got a secret weapon.” As he walked away, he pulled out his phone and dialed the most recent number. 

“Hey Mads, I’ve got something I need your help with.”


	8. Something's Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, something’s different with Buck and Eddie?” 
> 
> “Hen noticed it first, but by the middle of the shift, it was clear something was up.”
> 
> “Like disagreement, up?” 
> 
> “They’re, like, closer than ever.”

“So, something’s different with Buck and Eddie?” Maddie and Chimney were sitting on the couch in Chimney’s apartment, later that evening. Chimney was nursing a beer, while Maddie sipped on water. 

“Hen noticed it first,” Chimney said. “But by the middle of the shift, it was clear something was up.”

“Like disagreement, up?” Chimney shook his head and Maddie pursed her lips. 

“They’re, like, closer than ever.”

“Well they are living together,” Maddie pointed out. Then, she gasped and smacked Chimney’s arm. “What if they got together?”

“Would explain the excessive closeness,” Chimney said. “But would Buck really start dating Eddie and not tell you?”

“Only if it’s like super new,” Maddie said. “Obviously, Buck’s been in love with Eddie for a painfully long time.”

“Well Eddie’s just as bad,” Chimney said. “You should see the way he looks at Buck when Buck’s not looking.”

“Were we that bad?” Chimney chuckled.

“I’m sure I was.” Maddie tilted her head, a smile on her face. She leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “You never told me when you realized you were into me.”

“I remember telling Buck when you were helping me move into my apartment that I thought you were cute.” Chimney smiled at that. “Buck thought I was talking about Eddie.”

“Of course he did,” Chimney said with a laugh as Maddie giggled. Maddie moved so that she was leaning on him, Chimney’s free hand landing on her growing belly. They sat in companionable silence, Chimney alternating between sipping his drink and pressing a kiss to the side of Maddie’s head.

“We should probably figure out if this baby is going to call Eddie, uncle or not.” Chimney snorted but nodded. 

“What did you have in mind?”

* * *

They were supposed to be watching a movie. It had been Buck’s idea of relaxing after the shift they had had. But of course, Eddie had other ideas. He had all but promised that he was going to get his hands on him later. 

Apparently later meant during the movie, which was why the two were currently making out on the couch.

“I guess you weren’t kidding earlier,” Buck said, pulling away to breathe. Eddie just continued trailing kisses along his jaw and down his neck. 

“Well how could I not be?” Eddie countered, his words buzzing against Buck’s neck. “You were being so sweet, checking in with me after that call. Sometimes I wonder, what’s bigger? Your heart or…” Buck gasped, pulling Eddie closer to him.

“Maybe you should find out.”

“Been wanting to find out since that first night.” Buck groaned, letting his forehead fall against Eddie’s.

“You’re really gonna drive a guy crazy here.” Eddie laughed and moved so he was sitting on the couch as Buck sat up. “We could turn the movie off, since we’re not watching, and go upstairs.” Eddie smiled and kissed Buck, pulling him basically into his lap. “Stairs too much for you, Diaz?” Eddie just rolled his eyes and continued kissing Buck. 

Buck was about to convince him to move, when his phone started ringing. 

“Ignore it,” Eddie mumbled against his lips.

“I wouldn’t tell you to ignore your phone,” Buck said, reaching for his phone. Eddie just kept going, probably trying to cloud Buck’s brain. “It’s Maddie.” Eddie huffed before backing up slightly. “Thank you.”

“Not done with you,” Eddie said, grabbing his beer.

“Hey Mads, what’s up?”

“ _ Just wanted to call and check in _ .” Maddie’s voice echoed through the apartment as Buck put the phone on speaker. “ _ Chimney mentioned that you guys had some serious calls today _ .”

“I’m fine, but I appreciate your concern.” Eddie gave him a look, as if telling him to wrap it up. Buck waved him off and Eddie leveled him with an intense look. “How’s the bump?”

“ _ Are you really going to refer to your future niece or nephew as ‘the bump’? _ ” Buck chuckled. “ _ The baby is fine, big kicker _ .”

“Sign ‘em for soccer camp?”

“ _ Chimney made the same joke _ .” Buck was going to laugh, when he noticed Eddie move closer to him. His eyes widened as Eddie was literally straddling him. He let out a startled noise when Eddie pressed his lips into his neck. “ _ Evan? Are you okay _ ?”

“Y-yeah,” He stuttered, as Eddie’s lips moved to his collarbone, sucking down. “Just choked on some air.”

“ _ You sure _ ?” Maddie asked. “ _ Because I can come check on you, if you want.” _

_ “ _ No!” Buck shouted, a little too loudly. He felt Eddie chuckle into his skin and Buck swore he would’ve killed Eddie, if he wasn’t so damn turned on. “I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” He didn’t wait for Maddie to respond, ending the call and tossing his phone down. 

“Done now?” Buck growled before nearly tackling Eddie onto the couch to kiss him. “Glad I got your attention. Now, how about that idea of going upstairs?” Buck rolled his eyes but gently pushed himself off the couch.

“You know Maddie’s going to think something is up right?” Buck pointed out. 

“Worry about that tomorrow,” Eddie said, getting up and taking Buck’s hand. Buck huffed and Eddie smiled, admitting he looked adorable. Eddie stepped forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Buck’s lips. “Come on, I think you offered to let me find some things out.”

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Buck muttered. Eddie barked out a laugh before tugging him up the stairs, kissing him all the way up.

* * *

Maddie stared at her phone as the call ended abruptly. She looked at Chimney, who was just watching her. 

“Yeah, something’s up.” Chimney nodded, a small smirk on his face. “What?”

“I knew I’d win by getting Detective Maddie on the case.” Maddie giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was about to kiss him, when she pulled away and gave him a look. 

“What exactly are you winning?” Chimney rolled his eyes before kissing his girlfriend. “But yes, Detective Maddie is on the case. Mostly because it’s very important to me that my brother is happy.”

“But the money will be nice too, right?” Chimney asked and Maddie rolled her eyes before kissing Chimney. As she headed towards the living room, Chimney smiled. 

He was totally going to win.


	9. Detective Maddie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’ve seriously never kept anything a secret from your sister?” Eddie countered. “I lost track of the things I’ve kept from Sophia and Adriana.” Eddie grabbed two mugs from the cabinet.
> 
> “I can’t,” Buck said as he leaned against the counter. “She always knows and she always figures it out.”
> 
> “You sound paranoid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, I'm back. Sorry for the delay, I wanted to get the rest of this story written before I published anymore. Anyways, enjoy!

Eddie didn’t believe Buck when he said Maddie was going to think something was up. Buck hadn’t done or said anything revealing over the phone call. And it wasn’t like they acted differently around anyone at work. So, Eddie felt Buck had nothing to worry about. 

But Buck disagreed. 

“I’m telling you,” Buck said as he followed Eddie down the stairs. “She always figures things out when it comes to me. I haven’t been able to keep anything from Maddie since I could talk.”

“You’ve seriously never kept anything a secret from your sister?” Eddie countered. “I lost track of the things I’ve kept from Sophia and Adriana.” Eddie grabbed two mugs from the cabinet.

“I can’t,” Buck said as he leaned against the counter. “She always knows and she always figures it out.”

“You sound paranoid.”

“And you’ve never met Detective Maddie.” Eddie gave Buck a look as he passed Buck a mug that he had filled with coffee. “Look, my sister is good at her job because she can tell when something seems off. Maybe she’s not always right on the money, but she always knows when something is up.”

“Right but as a dispatcher that’s good.”

“Well yeah,” Buck said, taking a sip of his coffee. “But as a sister she uses those powers for evil.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Eddie said, watching Buck. Buck flushed at his gaze and Eddie smirked. 

“If she thinks anything is up she’ll start calling and texting more, which has already happened.”

“So that’s who you were texting,” Eddie grumbled, remembering how attached Buck was to his phone when he had gotten out of the shower earlier.

“Huh?” He noticed Eddie’s look. “Oh, did you think I was texting someone else? You’re the one I’m quarantined with.” Eddie blushed a little and Buck chuckled.

“Anyways,” Eddie said, taking a sip of his coffee. “So she texts you more, she is your sister.”

“Yeah but it’s how she texts me,” Buck said, moving closer to Eddie. “She kept asking me about our phone call last night and if I was okay and should she check on me.” Buck’s phone dinged and Buck pulled his phone out of his pocket. His eyes widened as he stared at his phone. 

“What?”

“She just asked if there was something I needed to share with her.” Eddie rolled his eyes and Buck huffed. “Dude, believe me. She’s digging and we’re doomed.” 

“We’re not doomed.” His phone dinged again and Buck gulped. “What?”

“She wants to come over for lunch.”

“So?” Buck huffed. 

“So, she hasn’t bugged me about having lunch during most of this since she usually stops by the station,” Buck explained. “And now, after what she thinks was a fishy phone call, she wants to come over for lunch.” Eddie narrowed his eyes. He didn’t know why Buck was so worried. But he could tell that Maddie wasn’t going to give this up.

“You’ll be fine,” Eddie said gently. “We are not doomed.”

And Buck just shook his head. Because Eddie didn’t know his sister like he did.

* * *

Maddie was already certain that she was on the money that something was up with Buck after the phone call last night. Her instincts were never wrong when it came to her little brother. But she was even more sure of it with how jumpy Buck was. He looked like he was one second away from leaping out of his skin.

“So everything’s alright?” Maddie asked, watching Buck cook. It was just the two of them, as Eddie decided to go for a run before Maddie showed up, only adding to her suspicions.

“It’s fine Mads.” She squinted and stared at him. “Just trying to live normally during all of this.”

“Except Eddie’s living with you,” Maddie said. “I know you said you were fine with it at first, but it must be weird now. I mean, I know you two hang out a lot but it must be hard to spend every minute together.” Buck shrugged and Maddie hummed. The kitchen fell into silence, just the sound of Buck cooking.

“Are you going to ask the question that’s on your mind or keep being vague?” Buck asked, finally breaking the silence. “Because Detective Maddie freaks me out.” Maddie snorted at that and Buck smiled a little.

“What’s going on with you and Eddie?” Maddie asked. “And before you say nothing, you were weird on the phone last night.”

“Maddie.” 

“And apparently you two are closer than ever at work.”

“Maddie.”

“And I always thought you kind of had a crush on him, but didn’t do anything for a variety of reasons but I suppose being in quarantine could throw all those reasons away.”

“Maddie please.” Maddie stopped, noticing the pained expression on Buck’s face. “Stop. Just stop digging. Please.”

“Why?” Maddie asked. “If you’re happy, you should talk about it.” Buck just shook his head. “Buck.”

“Maddie no.” She frowned and Buck sighed. “Look if something was happening, if something had changed, then that thing would be incredibly new. Like, so new that no one needs to know until the two people involved have figured it out because maybe one of them was too scared to start it in the first place.”

“You have nothing to be afraid of.” Buck sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I’m not the one who’s afraid.” Maddie nodded. “So please Maddie, just stop.”

“I just want to know that you’re happy,” Maddie said gently. “When I moved here, you were waiting on someone that had already decided not to come back. And then you moved onto a relationship with someone who was always traveling for work and broke up with you while you were healing from a traumatic injury. So, I just want to see you be happy.”

“I am happy Maddie.”

“By hiding?” Buck sighed. “You don’t have to confirm or deny anything to me, but just know that whatever you decide, I have your back.”

“Promise?” Maddie held out her pinky and Buck chuckled before wrapping his pinky around hers. 

“Promise.”

* * *

Eddie walked into Buck’s apartment, expecting Maddie to still be there. He had only been out for a few hours, going for a run and then aimlessly driving around. He knew Buck had been anxious to talk with Maddie, so he had wanted to give them space. But there was only so much he could do before he had to go back to the apartment. 

However, the place was quiet when he entered. 

“Buck?” Eddie called, somewhat confused by the silence. He walked further into the apartment and found Buck sitting on the couch, fidgeting with his hands. Buck looked up and Eddie noticed a nervous look on his face. “Where’s Maddie?”

“She went home.” Eddie just nodded. 

“Are you okay?” Buck shrugged and Eddie sat down next to him. 

“She kind of already knew what’s going on,” Buck said and Eddie raised an eyebrow. “It wasn’t that hard of a jump, I guess. But I didn’t confirm anything to her.”

“Why?”

“You know why.” Eddie sighed. “Look, all of this has been great but above everything else, you’re my best friend and I don’t want to jump the gun because you’re important to me and I know you were worried about what crossing this line might mean for our friendship. But, I also don’t want this to just be something between us. So, I’m not trying to freak you out but I think we need to talk about this.” He glanced up at Eddie and Eddie just chuckled. “I just poured my heart out and you’re laughing at me?”

“Only because you’re worrying is cute.” Buck grumbled something, but a tinge of pink crossed his face. “Look, I know we haven’t put a label on this because I was freaked out when it all started, but I’ve seen so far that things can work out with this change. I mean, things aren’t much different other than the whole physical thing.”

“So, what are you saying?” Buck asked. Eddie smiled and just reached for Buck’s hand, letting his fingers intertwine with Buck’s.

“I’m saying we should talk to Bobby tomorrow at work about how we’re dating now.” Buck smiled a little. “You said we try, so let’s really try this.” Buck leaned towards Eddie and kissed him gently. When he pulled away, Eddie couldn’t help but be overcome with a complete and pure adoration for the man in front of him. “Maybe it was a good thing that Maddie was digging.”

“We’re not telling her that.” Eddie chuckled before pulling back towards him and kissing him. “I don’t want my sister feeling like she’s the reason I have a boyfriend now.”

“Mmm, boyfriend,” Eddie hummed against Buck’s lips. “I like the sound of that.” Buck smiled and melted into Eddie’s arms, letting the brunette fully wrap him into an embrace. Maybe he had been scared when everything had all tumbled out. But now? Now he was certain they would be okay. He was certain they could take the right next step. 

It felt right after all.

* * *

Buck exited Bobby’s office, a happy sigh escaping his lips. 

“Told you it wouldn’t be that bad.” Eddie exited the office after him, a small smile on his face. 

“I didn’t like when he mentioned the possibility of separate shifts,” Buck said. “But I’m hoping it never comes to that.” Eddie just smiled and took his hand, running his thumb over Buck’s hand. Buck just looked at Eddie and smiled, appreciating his boyfriend’s silent ability to comfort him.

“Uh, what’s going on here?” They both looked away from each other to see Hen and Chimney approaching. Buck just glanced at their hands, which were still intertwined. “Is this...is this a thing now?”

“Yep,” Eddie said with a smile. Hen smiled, but Chimney just stuck his hand out, a smirk on his face. Hen huffed and pulled out her wallet, placing a bill in his hand. 

“Thank you,” Chimney said, putting the bill in his pocket. “I knew Detective Maddie would get results.” Buck’s mouth dropped open and Chimney chuckled. 

“You’re the reason Maddie’s been bugging me for two days?” Chimney just snorted and shrugged, a mischievous look on his face. “Dude, you’re the worst.”

“Think of it like an investment in your niece or nephew’s future,” Chimney said, before walking away with a smirk on his face. Buck just huffed, letting go of Eddie’s hand to cross his arms over his chest. 

“Ignore him,” Hen said. “We’re both happy for you guys.” Eddie nodded to Hen, but saw that Buck was still glaring at Chimney’s retreating figure. Hen chuckled and walked away. 

“That wasn’t so bad.”

“I’m so going to get Chim for siccing Maddie on me,” Buck huffed out. Eddie smirked and Buck glanced at him. “I don’t suppose my boyfriend would like to help me?”

“Oh, I’m definitely helping,” Eddie said. “Can’t let you have all the fun, right?” Buck smiled. “Now come on, we can discuss ideas that won’t get either of us in trouble.” Buck just chuckled but followed Eddie, already scheming up ways to get back at Chimney.


	10. The Prank War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What had started out as an innocent prank or two quickly devolved into an all out war. It seemed if one pair successfully achieved a prank, then the other had to retaliate.

Chimney was a pretty observant guy. He could tell when a patient was exhibiting pain and determine the correct course of action. He could tell when Maddie was having a bad day by her clipped responses or her quiet tone. He knew the difference between Hen being tired because of work and Hen being tired because she was a mother of two. 

And he could certainly tell when Buck was up to no good. 

He had a feeling Buck wanted some kind of revenge for him winning money off of Maddie’s findings. But the problem was, he didn’t know what Buck was planning. He could just tell that Buck was planning something. 

It had been a few days and he often found Buck watching him with a trained eye, almost as if he was studying him. He’d often eye where Chimney was about to sit, making him select a different seat. And he always seemed to be whispering conspiratorially with Eddie (although that wasn’t much different from before; they were always attached at the hip). 

But basically, Buck was up to something. And the more time that passed when something didn’t happen, the more paranoid Chimney became. 

“You know.” Buck and Chimney were both working out in the gym, but Buck kept glancing over at him between sets. “Most people just get their revenge and move on.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about Chim,” Buck said, grabbing a dumbbell. “I’m just trying to get a workout in. You know, it’s good you’re staying active. I read that sometimes men whose significant others are pregnant gain sympathy weight.”

“Asshole,” Chimney muttered. Buck just shrugged and continued with another set. Chimney, not trusting Buck, decided to end his workout and grab a quick shower. He walked out of the gym, passing Eddie, who was talking on his phone. It reminded him that he needed to text Maddie about dinner later, so he headed for his locker first and not the shower. 

“Holy crap!” Chimney let out an ungodly yell when he saw what looked like a snake in his locker. He jumped backwards, nearly falling over the bench behind him. He was about to call for help, when he heard laughing behind him. He turned quickly, spotting Buck, who was clutching his stomach from laughing too hard, and Eddie, who was recording. 

“Oh screw you guys!” Chimney shouted. “You know I hate snakes.” Eddie chuckled, tucking his phone away. 

“Guess that’ll teach you not to stick your nose in other people’s personal lives,” Eddie said. “Or get Maddie to do it.” Eddie left the locker room, Buck trailing after him still laughing. Chimney let out a frustrated huff. 

“You okay?” Hen walked into the locker room, a concerned look on her face. “I heard a shout.”

“Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum pranked me,” Chimney said, pointing to his locker. Hen walked over to his locker and picked up the plastic snake. “I knew Buck was up to something.”

“Because of the Maddie thing?” Chimney nodded. “It’s just a silly prank.”

“One which I will be getting revenge on,” Chimney said, standing up. “And I could always use a partner.”

“You said Eddie was involved?”

“Filmed the whole thing.”

“Then I’m in.”

* * *

Buck assumed that after pranking Chimney that would be the end of it. After all, it was the least Chimney deserved after getting Maddie to poke her nose around Buck’s personal life. But Chimney didn’t seem like the pranking type. 

Boy was he wrong. 

They had just come back from a call. It had been raining and somehow, Eddie and Buck had got caught in the worst of it. So, while everyone else had gone to relax, they both needed showers first. And though they had definitely showered together at Buck’s apartment, that kind of business was off limits at work (both as decided on by the two of them and then reiterated by Bobby, who also told them no funny business in the fire trucks, which had made Buck blush remembering the worst of his days). 

So after a well-deserved shower and some PG flirting in the locker room (mostly on Buck’s part because he could now say out loud how much a shirtless Eddie Diaz made him drool), Buck and Eddie we’re heading up to the loft. 

“Took you two long enough,” Chimney said when they made their way towards the kitchen. “What if someone had to use the bathroom?”

“I don’t understand what my sister sees in you,” Buck quipped and Chimney rolled his eyes. 

“Play nice boys,” Hen said, walking over with a mug of coffee. “I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee, if you’re interested.”

“You’re an angel, Henrietta.”

“Don’t call me Henrietta.” Buck chuckled and headed towards the coffee pot. 

“Coffee, Eddie?” Buck asked, grabbing two mugs. Eddie nodded, taking a seat. “One sugar and a dash of milk, right?”

“Yeah, thank you.” It was then that Buck noticed Chimney watching him. 

“What?”

“You just know how he takes his coffee.”

“I knew that before,” Buck said with an eye roll. “Besides, you know how Maddie prefers her coffee.” 

“Which is limited right now and she’s very annoyed about that,” Chimney said as Buck poured two mugs of coffee. “I don’t even bother making it at the apartment because Maddie just laments about how she can’t have as much coffee as she wants and it’s my fault.”

“I mean, it is partially,” Buck said and Eddie snorted at that. Chimney rolled his eyes but watched Buck as he carried the two mugs over to the table. Buck raised an eyebrow at that, but decided it was nothing as he sat down. He put the mug in front of Eddie, who was checking something on his phone. Buck noticed Chimney’s eyes still on him and should’ve assumed that was weird. 

He didn’t, drinking the coffee instead. He was confused when he saw Chimney’s eyes light up, but understood as soon as the taste of the drink hit the back of his throat. 

He quickly slammed his hand over the top of the mug for Eddie, stopping the brunette from lifting the cup. He gave Buck an odd look before seeing the expression on his face. 

Then, Buck ran to the sink, spitting the coffee out. 

“What the hell?” Buck yelled, glaring at Chimney. “Are you trying to poison me?”

“It’s just lemon juice,” Chimney said with a snicker. "A whole bottle of it." He got up and high-fived Hen. “And that was for the snake in my locker.” Buck frowned, quickly grabbing something to mask the taste in his mouth. 

“Sorry boys,” Hen said with a smirk. “Or I should say Buck, since Eddie stopped from drinking that.” 

“You’re both evil,” Buck grumbled and Chimney just chuckled before he and Hen left the loft. As soon as they were gone, Eddie got up and crossed over to Buck. 

“We’re getting revenge, right?” Eddie asked and Buck nodded vehemently. “Good because I have some ideas to get both of them back.”

* * *

What had started out as an innocent prank or two quickly devolved into an all out war. It seemed if one pair successfully achieved a prank, then the other had to retaliate. Eddie and Buck filled Hen and Chimney’s lockers with hundreds of bouncy balls. Then Hen and Chimney put Eddie and Buck’s wallets inside balloons (which Buck was still very confused about and Eddie was both annoyed and impressed). There was shaving cream in all of their hands as they each napped at the station. Chimney even managed to trick Buck with a bowl of frozen cereal. 

They probably should’ve quit while they were ahead. But each pair wanted to win. And somehow Bobby hadn’t noticed or just hadn’t cared enough to stop them. The pranks were harmless and only involved the four of them. 

Well, until the last one. 

Buck and Eddie were coming out of Bobby’s office, Bobby a step behind them when it happened. Bobby had called the two of them into his office because the department needed another form from them regarding their relationship. Buck had lamented that paperwork took half the fun out of dating someone but Bobby had still made him read and sign the forms.

They should’ve known something was up when they saw Hen waiting by the stairs, glancing up at the loft. Buck was a few steps ahead of Eddie and Bobby because of his longer legs. He was also walking backwards to talk to them. 

But he stopped talking when he noticed Hen glance up at Chimney. 

“Eds.” He quickly pulled his boyfriend out of the way. Eddie let out a holler of protest and then Hen let out a startled shout. 

And then Bobby was drenched. 

Everyone froze as their captain stood there, soaked from head to toe, from a bucket of water that Chimney had dumped from the loft. The only movement was Chimney running downstairs, a horrified look on his face. 

“Bobby I.” But Bobby held up his hand. 

“This is a firehouse, not a frat house,” Bobby said, finally speaking. His face was neutral but there was a flicker of anger behind his eyes. “These childish pranks will stop, understood?” All four of them nodded. “Then you will mop this mess up and clean all of the trucks. All of them. I want them to shine.” Everyone nodded again. “Now, I need to call my wife because this was my spare uniform.” He then turned and walked back into his office. 

It was silent again as they all looked at each other. 

Then they burst out laughing. 

“So truce?” Buck asked with a smile on his face. 

“Truce,” Chimney said with a nod. Smiles were exchanged before they all headed to the supply closet, not wanting to incur anymore of Bobby’s wrath.


	11. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know,” Maddie said, breaking the silence. “While the rest of our friends are celebrating getting to go home and see their kids, nothing’s really changed for us.”
> 
> “Not yet at least,” Chimney said and Maddie glanced back at him and smiled. “But yeah, we got pretty lucky, huh?”

“Mama’s home!” Hen opened the door to her house with a huge smile. It had been determined that they would all be safe enough to go home and be around their families. So, the minute Hen had finished her shift, she had grabbed her belongings from Athena and Bobby’s house and, after thanking them for being wonderful hosts, all but sped home. 

“Mom!” Denny ran towards and Hen squatted down to hug her son. 

“Oh I missed you so much baby,” Hen said, kissing his head. Denny smiled and hugged her tightly. Hen just took a long breath, savoring the moment. 

“Oh, we see how it is.” Hen stood up and smiled as Karen walked towards her holding Nia. 

“Mama!” Nia said, excitedly reaching for Hen. Hen smiled and kissed Nia’s head. She then looked at Karen, who smiled lovingly at her. 

“Welcome home.”

“Words I have so been waiting for,” Hen said before kissing her wife. She smiled at her family and let out a happy sigh, extremely happy to be home. 

* * *

“Mom! Bobby!” Athena smiled as Harry ran into the house. Athena pulled Harry into a hug as soon as he was in reaching distance. “You didn’t rearrange my room did you?” Athen scoffed and glanced at Bobby who chuckled. 

“It’s a craft room now,” Bobby said. “We donated everything.” Harry’s eyes went wide and he went running to his room. His offending ‘hey’ made everyone else chuckle. 

“That was cold,” Michael said.

“Well, we raised him better than that,” Athena said before giving Michael a hug. “Thank you. I know this wasn’t easy.”

“Well the apartment’s small but we tried to make it feel like home.” Athena smiled and patted his arm. “Something smells good.”

“We’re barbecuing some chicken,” Bobby said. “Want to give me a hand?” Michael nodded and the two headed down the stairs and outside. Athena turned, seeing May by the door, pretending to text when she was really watching everything out of the corner of her eye. 

“Now, are you just going to stand there or come give me a hug?” May looked up at her phone, noticing that Harry had joined Bobby and Michael outside. She then dropped her bag and ran to her mom. Athena let out a breath and hugged her daughter tightly. 

“I missed you so much,” May said. Athena just smiled, cherishing the hug from her daughter. 

“I missed you too baby.” She let go of May, smiling affectionately at her. “Now come on. We’ve been trying a lot of new recipes lately.”

“Don’t tell me you guys got into that whole bread-making phase.”

“Bobby already knew how to make bread,” Athena pointed out and May smirked. “So, we had to get a little more creative.”

“I can’t wait to hear all about it.” Athena nodded before walking with May towards the backyard. As she reached Bobby and his arm wrapped around her, Athena couldn’t help but smile, more than glad that her kids were finally home. 

* * *

Chimney and Maddie were lying on the couch in Chimney’s apartment, Maddie resting her back against Chimney’s chest and Chimney’s hand gently tracing circles on her growing belly. 

“You know,” Maddie said, breaking the silence. “While the rest of our friends are celebrating getting to go home and see their kids, nothing’s really changed for us.”

“Not yet at least,” Chimney said and Maddie glanced back at him and smiled. “But yeah, we got pretty lucky, huh?” Maddie smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. 

“The luckiest,” Maddie said, her thumb gently caressing his cheek. She then moved so she was leaning against his chest again. They lapsed into a comfortable silence again. 

“Buck probably went with Eddie, right?”

“Oh without a doubt.” Chimney chuckled. “I hope you didn’t bet against Hen on that.”

“I’m not an idiot.” Maddie snorted and swatted at her boyfriend’s shoulder.

“As much as I love teasing my brother,” Maddie said, wrapping her hand around his. “I’m glad he’s happy. I’m glad everyone is happy.”

“It’s nice when things work out like that.” Maddie nodded in agreement. “But we’re still going to tease the hell out of Eddie and Buck.”

“Oh absolutely. I would not be doing my job as a sister if I didn’t.” And then they settled into a content conversation about work, knowing their friends and family we’re all happily reuniting with the people they loved most.

* * *

Eddie took a long breath as he stood at the door to his house. This should be easy, he was just going home. But after everything, he was terrified to open the door.

“It’s going to be okay.” Eddie couldn’t help but thank god that Buck was there. His boyfriend offered him a smile and Eddie nodded before opening the door.

His leg was immediately knocked into, the full force of Christopher almost causing him to stumble backwards.

“Daddy!” Eddie felt tears burn at the corners of his eyes as he crouched down to hug his son. “You’re home!”

“Sure am, Superman,” Eddie said, hugging Christopher. “Sure am.” He tucked his nose into his son’s hair, taking comfort in his curls and the smell of whatever kid’s shampoo they kept in the bathroom. He picked Christopher up and turned towards Buck. “Buck’s here too, mjio.

“Hi Buck!” Buck chuckled and waved to Christopher. 

“Alright you three.” Eddie turned to see Pepa and his Abuela. Eddie passed Christopher to Buck, who began happily telling Buck about a book he was reading. Eddie hugged his aunt and grandmother, a smile on his face. 

“Thank you for everything.” His abuela smiled, patting his cheek.

“What’s family for, nieto?” Eddie nodded. “Now, you three enjoy your time together. There’s plenty of food in the fridge.” Eddie nodded again, watching them as they left. As he closed the door, he let out a long sigh of relief. He then turned towards where Buck and Christopher were. He couldn’t help but smile, watching his boyfriend interact with his son. Buck must’ve noticed him but simply smiled back at him. 

“Alright,” Eddie said, crossing to the two of them. “How about dinner?”

“You’re not going to cook right?” Buck snorted and Eddie pretended to be offended.

“I just got home, mijo.” Christopher giggled and Eddie couldn’t help but smile. “And no, I’m not. We’ll eat something Abuela made.”

“She made tamales! And I helped!”

“Then I guess we have to eat them,” Eddie said with a smile. “Right Buck?”

“Show us where this good food is, Superman,” Buck said, setting Christopher down. Christopher smiled and headed towards the kitchen. Buck was about to follow when Eddie stopped him, kissing him. 

“Thank you.” Buck just smiled at him, making Eddie’s stomach do what felt like a million flips. 

“Alright you sap, let’s go hang out with my favorite Diaz.”

“I’d call you rude if he wasn’t my favorite too.” Buck chuckled before pulling Eddie towards the kitchen. And as Eddie followed, he couldn’t help but feel truly and completely happy.

**Author's Note:**

> [Scream with me on my Tumblr?](https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com)


End file.
